The Cornell Woolrich Omnibus

Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler may be the architects and set the unbeaten standards of the tough but caring detective, it is clearly Cornell Woolrich who has set the standard for the psychological thriller. He was a mainstay of the Mystery/Thriller pulp magazines of the 1930s and 1940s.

According to Wikipedia (which I hate to quote), “His biographer, Francis Nevins Jr. [a respected pulp writer in his own right], rated Woolrich the fourth best crime writer of his day, behind Dashiell Hammett, Erle Stanley Gardner and Raymond Chandler. A check of film titles reveals that more film noir screenplays were adapted from works by Woolrich than any other crime novelist, and many of his stories were adapted during the 1940s for Suspense and other dramatic radio programs.” And while I’d consider him a ‘crime writer’, his writing was in a class by itself…Hammett and Chandler on one branch of a Mystery Tree and Woolrich on another branch.

The Cornell Woolrich Omnibus contains Rear Window (which lacks the romantic aspect of the movie version) and other short stories as well as two novels, I Married a Dead Man and Waltz into Darkness and it is in these novels where his talent shines.

He is a master at allowing his protagonists to get what they desire but, the question is, at what cost? Woolrich is an artist who paints a scene, then another and then another, all the while moving the story forward, inch by sometimes excruciating inch. In Waltz into Darkness, particularly, I didn’t know whether to root for the main characters, Lou and Julie/Bonny Durant, love them or hate them or feel sorry for them. My feelings changed by the page and at one point I was tempted to read the last page to see how the story ended. But I”m glad I didn’t, because it would have ruined the suspense.

The two novels take place in two different times, I Married a Dead Man in the 1940s when the story was written, and Waltz into Darkness in 1880s New Orleans and he does each time period justice. In the latter, readers feel like they are in New Orleans, he sets the stage so well.

I’ve read various Cornell Woolrich stories and novels (Rendezvous in Black) and I haven’t cracked the surface of his works. There are definitely going to be more in my future.

If you are into reading the best of a genre, then Cornell Woolrich is a must read for every mystery fan. His works are well written and suspenseful.

P.S. A biography of Woolrich might be in order as well, as his life would have made a great Woolrich story.

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Noir Movies: Laura

I’m going to end my stream of noir movie posts with Laura, the 1944 movie with Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb and an incredibly young Vincent Price before he became the king of horror movies. I think this movie is better than The Maltese Falcon and on a par with Casablanca, so after almost 20 movies watched Laura and Casablanca top my list.

Clifton Webb is outstanding as the snobbish Waldo Lydecker, the radio personality who takes credit for bringing culture into the life of beautiful Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney). Dana Andrews plays the hero but down to earth cop, Mark McPherson, who falls in love with Laura from the portrait hanging over her mantel. And finally the ne’er do well but suave southern gentleman, Shelby Carpenter is perfectly played by Vincent Price.

This movie has just the right amount of action, romance, suspense and regardless of the number of times I’ve watched this movie, I never fail to remain spellbound.

Which brings me to the book, Laura by Vera Caspary. I forget which book of hers I read first but whichever it was prompted me to read more. I’ve liked all I’ve read so far, not all mysteries. But there was something puzzling in the book to film transition of Laura. As you can see, Waldo Lydecker in the movie is rail thin. However, in the book he is obese–think of Syndey Greenstreet in the Maltese Falcon.  The question is why the change? To accommodate Webb who was substantially better than Greenstreet would have been? Whatever the reason, it continues to puzzle me.

Just to let you know I have both the movie and the book of Laura at home. That’s got to say something, right?

So, thus ends my noir movie rampage. Thank you Nova Ren Suma for writing Dani Noir and thank you Dani for suggesting all of these movies. It has been fun watching.

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Noir Movies: Scarlet Street

I’ve come to the conclusion that the directors of Edward G. Robinson movies don’t know when to end them. They tack on an extra few minutes that ruin the movie and so it was with Scarlet Street starring Robinson, Dan Duryea and Joan Bennett as another great femme fatale. Robinson, named Chris Cross in the movie, has just left his dinner celebrating his 25th year at the bank where he is manager when he happens upon Duryea slapping Ms. Bennett in the street. He intervenes and Duryea runs away. Of course mealy mouth Robinson falls head over heals for Bennett, in part because she’s beautiful and in part because he’s married to a shrew.

Little does Robinson know that both Bennett and Duryea are a team of schemers and see a sucker in Robinson. They play him along and Bennett has him wrapped around her little pinkie, so much so he paints her toenails before she goes out to dinner…with someone else.

As with all noir movies, something goes amiss, there’s a dead body and someone gets blamed. The characters, the action and the story are great. Duryea plays the best slimeball around, in both Scarlet Street and The Woman in the Window. Bennett is marvelous at playing Robinson. And Robinson makes a great patsy.

But just like The Woman in the Window, the last two minutes ruin it. If you watch it, in my mind the scene on the train should end the movie. But, that’s me. Just don’t miss these two great movies.

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Noir Movies – Humphrey Bogart

I’m into the classic noir movies now and decided to make it a Humphrey Bogart trifecta (The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep and Casablanca), although, where there’s Humphrey, there also seems to be Peter Lorre and Sydney Greetstreet. And while Rita Hayworth and Joan Bennett are front runners in the femme fatale roles, Lauren Becall, Mary Astor and Ingrid Bergman clearly outpace them in the ‘love interest’ category, as well as in sophistication.

There’s no need to summarize the plots of these three classic movies. I’m not sure I’d call them noir movies either, although they are mentioned in Nova Ren Suma’s book, Dani Noir (remember, that’s what got me started on this whole noir movie kick). They are star studded, action packed, well acted, absorbing movies. The actors are a delight: Sydney Greenstreet, Claude Rains, Peter Lorre, Lauren Bacall, Mary Astor, Ingrid Bergman. Of the three, Casablanca has to be my favorite, followed by The Maltese Falcon and lastly The Big Sleep. I could, and have, watched the first two multiple times. If I had to choose a femme fatale, it would have to be Ingrid Bergman.

I know I’m rambling here, so I’ll end by saying these three movies define great movies. See them. You’ll never tire of them.

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Noir Movies: Detour and The Stranger

This week’s installments have been good to me. The first movie I watched was Detour with Tom Neal and Ann Savage, who plays a savage woman. Tom is thumbing a ride from New York to Los Angeles to see his girlfriend. I’m trying to figure out a way to explain the movie but it’s getting convoluted in my mind, so let’s just say there’s a dead body and an irate woman who manipulates Neal, in the form of Ann Savage. And if this last name doesn’t describe the character to a T, then I don’t know what does.

Neal tells the story in flashbacks while sitting at a bar. The actors, the cinematography, the story, the action, the tension are all good. Neal is convincing as a down on his luck guy on the lam. Savage is fantastic in her role as a jilted, manipulative, screeching albatross around Neal’s neck. If she didn’t win an Academy Award for this performance, then the judges were off their rockers.

Was Detour my favorite? No, but it is sure up there as is The Stranger with Edward G. Robinson, Orson Welles and Loretta Young. Robinson is a Fed tracing Nazis and has been led to the small town of Harper, CT. There is little evidence as to who Franz Kindler really is, but circumstances lead to Welles who’s reestablished himself as a professor and about the marry the daughter of a Supreme Court Justice. There is action, drama, and superb performances. Welles, yet again, never ceases to amaze me with his characters and his directorial achievements. And the more I see Edward G. Robinson, the more I like him. He may not transform himself as does Welles, but he’s just a joy to watch.

No femme fatales in either of these movies, so Rita, Joan, there are no contenders for your title.

And the even better news: I just found out that Robinson, Dan Duryea and Joan Bennett (The Woman in the Window) were in another noir movie together: Scarlet Street. That’s on tomorrow’s agenda, time permitting. Thanks to Dani Noir, I am seeing some great movies.

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Noir Movies – Halfway Through

The Woman in the Window may have been my favorite noir movie so far…until the last 2 minutes, which in my opinion, ruined the noir tenor of the movie. Joan Bennett is the woman in the window…a portrait in the window next door to Edward G. Robinson’s men’s club. (Talk about one sultry femme fatale…although she really isn’t ‘fatale’ in the movie.) After dinner with his friends, the local district attorney and a doctor, Robinson is ruminating over the portrait in front of him when the model, Ms. Bennett appears. They chat, go out for drinks and before you know it, Robinson is back in her apartment. All is innocent but Bennett’s jealous lover, a prominent financier, unexpectedly enters and gets the wrong impression. He gets Robinson in a stranglehold and Robinson, to save himself, stabs and kills him. The rest of the movie is the cover up. Robinson’s friend, Raymond Massey, is the district attorney handling the case, so Robinson gets constant updates. There is suspense galore, dark, shadowy streets and alleyways and all three main characters are so well cast. If there was a way to give you a two minute warning, I would, so you could turn it off at the right time. However, you might as well watch the whole thing because 105 minutes of pleasure is worth the two minutes of pain. By the way, Joan Bennett will give Rita Hayworth a run for the money. And there is just something about Edward G. Robinson, isn’t there.

Now let’s move on to noir movie clunker number 2, after Touch of Evil . It is D.O.A. starring Edmund O’Brien. O’Brien, mysteriously decides to take a vacation in San Francisco. He stays at a hotel hosting a sales convention, goes partying with some salesmen, has a few too many and feels sick in the morning, but so sick he sees a doctor. After running tests, it’s determined that O’Brien was poisoned. O’Brien, an accountant in the movie, spends the rest of it trying to determine who poisoned him. From the dialogue to the action, this movie just didn’t make it. The storyline is convoluted. The love interest is uninteresting. And there certainly is no femme fatale. If you’re determined to see a movie entitled D.O.A., I suggest to see the 1988 movie with Randy Quaid. Although the story is different, the poisoning is the same and this one is a lot more suspenseful.

Since I’m halfway through the noir movies mentioned in Dani Noir by Nova Ren Suma, it’s probably time for a recap. As far as femme fatales go, Rita Hayworth is certainly on top, with Joan Bennett a close second. There is no close or even distant third.

Regarding the movies, Gilda still remains on top with Lady from Shanghai and The Third Man battling head to head for second place. The Woman in the Window is trailing only because of the lame ending.

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Audrey Totter 1917-2013

Audrey Totter passed away this week at the age of 96. To most of you this won’t mean much. But in reading her obituary it mentioned that she played femme fatale roles in the 1940s and 1950s noir movies, including a bit part in The Postman Always Rings Twice, which I recently saw. I do remember her part. So, I picked the most noir photo I could find for this post.

Included in her list of movies was Lady in the Lake based on a Raymond Chandler novel, The Unsuspected, High Wall and Tension. Beginning in the 1950s, she worked mostly in TV.

So, in addition to the remaining movies on my Dani Noir list, I have several more to watch. This whole noir thing may become a lifelong pursuit.

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Noir Movies-Round Three

This is the weekend of duplicitous, murderous women: The Lady from Shanghai with Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth and The Man Who Cheated Himself with Lee J. Cobb and Jane Wyatt.

The Lady from Shanghai was a great noir movie with a totally ‘noir’ ending, although it didn’t have that dark, mysterious locale. The murder plotting takes some unpredictable turns. As in Gilda, Rita Hayworth is manipulative, alluring and wonderful. Orson Welles has changed his persona yet again from Touch of Evil and The Third Man. Now he’s seaman Michael ‘Black Irish’ O’Hara, with appropriate Irish brogue, who takes a job aboard Hayworth’s and her crippled husband’s yacht. In Touch of Evil, he was the bloated, misguided sheriff in a U.S./Mexico border town. In The Third Man he was the suave, confident black marketeer in Europe. I find it so hard to reconcile these Orson Welles images with the cigar smoking man who appeared on TV talk shows back in the day. Although I’m sure the other actors in The Lady from Shanghai were well known in their day, they were unknown to me, but they were cast superbly. This is a movie to watch.

I also liked The Man Who Cheated Himself with Lee J. Cobb and Jane Wyatt. It was a totally different kind of movie. I thought they were both well cast, Cobb as the Detective in love with socialite Wyatt who ‘mistakenly?’ shoots her estranged husband and has Cobb clean up the mess. According to the blog Film Noir of the Week, however, Wyatt was not considered up to femme fatale standards, “Completely miscast as the object of Ed’s (Cobbs’) desire is Jane Wyatt. No perfect housewife Margaret Anderson is Ms Wyatt in her role as the femme fatale, Lois Frazer. Her performance can politely be called “over the top.” Some have referred to her performance as the worst ever by a femme fatale.” Personally, I thought she did a pretty decent job.

Suffice it to say, I’m in total agreement with Dani Callanzano of Dani Noir…the only real femme fatale so far is Rita Hayworth, in both Gilda and Lady from Shanghai. (However, please note that I do have 11 more movies to go, including Gene Tierney in Laura. She may give Rita Hayworth a run for her money.)

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Touch of Evil and The Third Man

The good news and the bad news on these movies? Bad news first. I’m sorry but Touch of Evil, as a movie, was a clunker. However….there were a bunch of good things about it. Firstly, a young and very pretty Janet Leigh. Then there’s Charlton Heston. The makeup on Orson Welles to make his character look as evil on the outside as he was on the inside. Dennis Weaver playing a deranged motel night manager. Cameo appearances by none other than Zsa Zsa Gabor and Marlene Dietrich (not one of my personal favorites, but a lot of people like her). And finally, Ray Collins, who’ll always be known to me as Lt. Tragg on the Perry Mason series.

The good news? The Third Man was the polar opposite of Touch of Evil.  A marvelous, suspenseful movie. Compare the two Orsons. What a difference. One disgusting. One so suave. And finally, Joseph Cotton. Would you think less of me if I said I had a thing for Joseph Cotton. I just like him, the way he looks, the way he acts, the characters he plays. I just love his movies. The Magnificant Ambersons? What a great movie. But I digress. He and his female co-star, Alida Valli, had a chemistry.

There were no femme fatales, per se, in these movies. Remember, I got the names from the book Dani Noir, in which she envisioned femme fatales and noir movies. While both were definitely noir movies, if I had to pick one, I’d pick The Third Man.

Next on the list: Lady from Shanghai.

 

 

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Noir Movies

Just wanted to let you know the viewing for this weekend’s noir movies:

Touch of Evil and The Third Man

Guess this is an Orson Welles weekend. Apparently there are  three versions of Touch of Evil: the original theatrical version, one based more on Welles’ 58 page proposal to the studio and a preview version which incorporates some of Welles’ reqeusts. Me, I’m sticking to the original version.

I’ll let you know my noir-ish thoughts early next week.

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